Plastic Rings and Pigtails
by BlessedMay
Summary: 9 year olds Leah and Sam: best friends for life. And stupid Embry too!


"Hey Lee Lee! Where are you?" I peeked out from my fort when I heard Sam call my name. I could see his messy black hair from my vantage point, but not much else. His feet pattered and shuffled on the wood floor as he searched for me. He leaned over the couch and I quickly ducked down, but not quick enough.

"There you are! Why didn't you say something!" His tone was accusing. I frowned and shoved him away from my fort. The blanket started slipping down so I put another clothespin on it to keep it attached to the couch. Sam fell down the couch and then crawled back up.

"Lee Lee, are you mad at me?" Sam sounded so hurt, I didn't want to make my only best friend sad.

"I'm not mad at you Sam." He peered over the couch to look at me.

"Then why won't you let me in?" I giggled at his confused expression and then promptly covered my mouth with my hands. I was _supposed _to be mad.

"Boys are stupid!" I shouted. Sam looked even more confused.

"But I'm a boy." He climbed higher on the couch so he could lean over the back. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No..." I admitted, pouting.

"Then why can't I come in?" When he said things like that, it made me angry. My mommy calls it unfortunate logic, I call it annoying. Why was he always right?

"Because I'm angry right now! So go away!" Sam frowned at me, but he listened. He always listened to me. He climbed off the couch and started walking away. I hastily crawled out of my fort and yelled at him.

"Wait! Come back Sam, I'm not angry anymore." He turned to me and smiled. I love when Sam smiles. Mommy was right, his face _does _light up. "You wanna sit in my fort with me?" Sam came back and took my hand.

"Of course!" We huddled under the blankets that were propped up on my mommy's good furniture. I hope she won't get mad when she gets home. The good furniture makes the best forts.

"So why are boys stupid?" I sighed. That's Sam; all business, no play.

"Boys are stupid because they're born that way." He frowned at me.

"Lee Lee, somebody made you angry. Who did it?" I know I looked confused because I _was _confused.

"Why do you want to know?" Suspicious is good. Maybe they have a stupid boys only club or something and Sam is a spy.

"Because you're my best friend and nobody messes with my best friend." He squeezed my hand and I remembered we were still holding hands. He was so good at making me forget I was angry.

"Stupid Embry pulled my pigtails and told me they were ugly." I whispered. I started crying and Sam hugged me. "Then he tried to take my favorite ring that I got from the candy machines! And that's not right 'cause I've had this since I was four!"

"Don't worry Lee Lee, I'll make sure Embry never says nothin' like that ever again." I lifted my head to look at him. He was a little blurry from the tears but, yep, it was still my Sam.

"We should get married Sam." He frowned.

"Why?"

"'Cause you're nice to me and you're my best friend and you don't let anybody mess with me." I said this without blushing. I feel very happy knowing that. Sam looked very serious.

"My mom says that you need to love whoever you marry." I frowned too. How do you know if you love somebody? I looked at Sam and smiled. That was an easy question.

"It's okay Sam, I love you!" He smiled at me too and I felt very warm.

"I love you too Lee Lee, maybe we should get married." We sat there quietly for a moment, almost laughing but not quite. Then he spoke again. "But I don't have a ring to give you. Don't you need a ring to get married?" I didn't know what to say.

"Hey wait!" I said as I remembered something. "My ring, I'll give it to you and then you can give it back to me. Then we'll be official." I handed over the pink ring with a huge purple gem and Sam smiled sweetly at me before sliding it onto my ring finger. I felt very special, Sam must love me so much to marry me.

And so it was settled. Me and Sam would get married and all the other boys were stupid. So can you blame me for when I next saw stupid Embry and waved my plastic ring in his face and told him that "my husband is gonna beat you up!" I think he wet his pants. It makes me smile.


End file.
